PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH RELAPSING REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune illness of the central nervous system and is considered the most common non-traumatic cause of neurological disability in middle age, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is endemic in our country and Egypt is the most affected nation by HCV worldwide, this study is an educational hospital based study.Aim of the Work: To determine prevalence of HCV in patients having relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).Patients and Methods: Two hundred and three Egyptian patients with the diagnosis of RRMS were recruited consecutively from MS Unit of Neurology department at Ain Shams University Hospital which is the biggest MS unit in Egypt, Cross sectional pilot study. Patients’ medical history, general and neurological examination including assessment of the functional disability using Expended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were obtained along 6 months and were followed for 1 year and all subjects underwent serum sampling for detection of the HCV antibody by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) technique and confirmed diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Results: Data showed that prevalence of HCV among studied patients with RRMS was 4.9% (no. 10 from 203), however prevalence of HCV in Egypt is 10.6%, it may be due to gender predilection which is nearly 2:1 male to female in HCV versus 1:2.57 in MS patients, Conclusion: HCV is less prevalent in MS patients than general population and patients with HCV have more active disease regardingrelapses and magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) activity.